W b graham



(No Model.)v 3ySlieets-Sheety 1.

J. E. WBATHERWAX.

TACKING MACHINE.

Patented Feb. 11, 1896.

3 Sheets-Sheet'I 2.

(No Model.)

J. E. WEATHERWAX.

` TAGKING MACHINE.

Patented Feb. 11, 1896.

(No Model.) 4 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. J. E. WEAT'HBRWAX. TAGKING MACHINE.

N0. 554,470. Patented Feb. 11, 1896..

51m/@MIO A i ATENT GFFICE.

ANrrnn STATES J ENSIGN IVEATIIERIVAX, OF IVORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO RUTH L. IIOVARD, OF SAME PLACE.

TAcKINe-MACH'INE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,470, dated February 11, 1896.

Application iiled August 19, 1895. Serial No. 559,722. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern: front elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a Be it known that I, J ENsIGN VEATHER- side elevation looking in the direction of ar- WAX, a citizen of the United States, residing' row a, Fig. l. The wire-reel and supportingat IVorcester, in the county of Worcester and arm are left off in this figure. Fig. 3 is a 5 State of Massachusetts, have invented cerdetail of a portion of the wire-feed mechan- 55 tain new and useful Improvements in Tackism. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of the plunger ing-Machines,of which the followingisaspeciand driver. Fig. 5 is a detail of a portion of iication. the plunger. Fig. 6 is a detail of the detach- My invention relates to tacking-machines able block which secures the driver to the ro of the class described and shown in United plunger. Fig. 7 is a detail of a portion of the 6o States Letters Patent No. 467,665, dated Jangrip mechanism for holding the wire. Fig. 8 uary 26, 1892, and particularly to certain imis a sectional detail of the adjusting and lockprovements on the tacking-machine shown ing lever and the graduated disk. Fig. 9 is and described in said patent. It has been a sectional detail of aportion of the wire-reel.

' 15 .found in practice that some of the parts of Fig. l0 is a detail of the cutter and the mech- 65 said tackingmachine fail to operate in a anism which lifts and holds the tack in a proper manner, particularly the grip for hol'dvertical position; and Fig. ll is an edge view ing the wire while it is being cut off by the of the reel, looking in the direction of arrow cutter. In said patent the grip is spring-actb, Fig. l. Figs. 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 are shown zo uated, and in my improvement I provide a on an enlarged scale. 70 positive grip for the wire. I also provide an The machine shown in the drawings is of improved way for attaching the driver to the the same construction and operation as the plunger by means of a detachable block. I machine shown in said Patent No. 467,665, also provide an improved way of locking the with the exception of my improvements sub- 2 5 adjusting-lever to the graduated disk, for stituted for corresponding parts of said pat- 75 varying the length of the nails. I also proented machine, and as the construction and vide an extra pawl for the ratchet-wheel of operation of saidl machine is well known it is the wire-feed mechanism, to reduce any varinot necessary to give a description thereof, ation in the length of the nail. I also proexcept suicient to illustrate the nature of 3o vide a spring combined with the device which my improvements applied thereto. For a de- 8o lifts the nail and holds it in a vertical positail description of said machine and the option, said spring acting to bring said device eration thereof reference is made to said Patinto a position to lift or move the nail into a ent N o. 467,665. verticalposition. Ialso provide an improved In the accompanying drawings, l is a ver- 35 construction of the reel, on which coils of tical plunger carrying the driver 2. Said 85 l wire of varying thickness or width may be plunger is operated in the usual and Wellplaced and held without changing the action known manner. of the friction-spring on the reel, so that the 8 is the reel which carries the coil of Wire Wire will always be drawn off evenly. from which the nails are made. The wire 4 4o My invention consists in certain novel feapasses between grooved feed-rolls 5 and 6 of 9o tures of construction of the parts of the mathe ordinary construction and operation, onto chine above referred to, and in combining the the race 7, beneath a thin metal cap S, secured same with said patented machine, as will-be to said race 7, as shown in Fig. l, to the rehereinafter f ully described. ciprocating circular cutter 9, which is of the 45 I have shown in the drawings the tackingsame construction and operation as set out in 95 machine shown and describedin said Patent said patent. The desired length of the wire No. 467,665, with my improvements applied is cut oif by said cutter to form the nail, which thereto, and substituted for corresponding is driven into the shoe-sole, held at the lower parts shown and described in said patent; end of the throat 10, by the driver in the 5o Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a usual way. roo

` apply a yielding force to the wire.

I will now proceed to describe my improved construction of some of the parts of said machine, as referred to above.

I will first describe the grip mechanism for holding the wire while it is being cut by the cutter. As stated above, the grip device in said patented machine is spring-actuated to My improved grip device is not spring-actuated.

Referring to Fig. 1, the grip 1I is fast on the rock-shai`t 12 and is provided with a serrated end 11', which, when it is desired to grip the wire, is forced into contact therewith, as it rests on the nail-race 7, by means of an arm or lever 13, extending up from and fast on said rock-shaft 12. (See Fig. 7.) The rock-shaft 12 and grip 11 are operated,throu gh the arm 13, by a cam 1I, fast on the driven shaft 15. In order to provide for any wear of the arm 13, which is in contact with the cam 14, I provide a removable plate 1() of hardened steel, which is set into a longitudinal groove in the front edge of the arm 13 and secured therein at its lower end by a screw 17 and adj ust-able in or out at its upper end by a screw 1S and a nut 19. A spring 2O acts to keep the arm or lever 13 in engagement with the cam 14. (See Fig. 7.)

It will thus be seen that I communicate a positive motion to the grip I1 to hold the wire, and I provide for any wear of the parts by means of the adjustable plate 16 in the arm 13.

I will now describe my improved way of at taching the driver to the plunger.

It has been found in practice that the driver, when it breaks, will always break at its point of attachment to the plunger, and where it is diiicult to get at it to remove it and substitute another driver. In my way of attaching the driver to the plunger I am enabled to quickly detach the driver from the plunger for any purpose. I provide a transverse notch or cut-out portion 21 on one side of the plunger, at the lower part thereof, and into said notch I it a detachable block 22, of cylindrical shape in cross-section, which is a little thicker than the depth of the notch 21, so that when said block is inserted in said notch it will be supported therein and the outer curved surface thereof will extend slightly beyond the surface of the plunger, as shown in Fig. 4:.

The upper end of the driver 2 is inserted in a central hole 23 in the lower end of the plunger 1, and the block 22 is inserted in the notch 21 with itsinnerstraight face bearing against the upper end of the driver on one side thereof. A collar 24E, provided with a set-screw 25, is mounted on the lower end of the plunger 1, but is adapted to slide up thereon, as shown in Fig. 4. The lower part of said collar is cut out, as shown at 24C', to allow the collar to slide up by the block 22.

Then it is desired to insert or remove the driver, the screw 25 is loosened, and the collar 24 pushed up on the plunger I to free the The end of the driver 2 may be block 22.

withdrawn from the hole 23 in the plunger l. To secure the driver to the plunger, the end thereof is inserted in the hole 23, and the block 22 placed in the notch 21, and the collar 24 moved down on the plunger to extend over the block. 22. The screw 25 is then screwed in to bind the block 22 against the upper end of the driver 2.

It will thus be seen that in my improved way of attaching the driver to the plunger said driver may be quickly and readily removed from or attached to the plunger.

I will now describe my improved way of locking the adjusting-lever, the movement of which varies the length of the nails to the graduated disk.

In said Patent No. 467,665 the graduated disk, corresponding to the disk 2U', is provided with a series of holes or depressionsin the front face thereof, and the lever or arm 2G, corresponding to the arm or lever of said patent, 'is provided with a sprin g-actuated lcver carrying a pin, which registers with the holes in said disk. It has been foundin practice that the pin fails to ent-er said holes, and thus allows the lever or arm to move up or down, thus varying the length of the nails and causing the machine to work im properly.

In my improved construction of the adjusting lever or arm, I do away with the holes or depressions in the disk, and the spring-actuated pin registering therewith, and providea series of teeth or indentations 27 on the edge of the graduated disk 26', into which the beveled end of a spring-actuated pin 2S, carried within the handle of the arm or lever 26, is adapted to extend tohold said arm in the desired position. The pin 2S is actuated by a spring 29, extending within a central hole in the handle of the lever 2G. A screw 30 is screwed into the end of said handle and regulates the tension of said spring on the pin 2S.

It will thus be seen that I provide a very simple and ei'licient device for locking the ad justing-lever of the mechanism for varying the length of the nails to the graduated disk.

I will now describe myimproved construction of the ratchet-feed mechanism.

In my improved construction, I provide an extra pawl for the ratchetv'heel of the wirefeed mechanism, as shown in Fig. Referring to said figure, 31 is a ratchet-wheel fast on the shaft 32 of the feed mechanism. is an arm loose on said shaft and carrying the two pawls 34E and 35 pivoted on the upper end thereof and held in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 31 by a single spring 3G, which bears at one end against the heel 34 of the pawl 34 and at its other end against the pawl 35. A spring 37 acts to keep the arm in its rearward position. The arm 33, carrying the pawls Se and 35, is operated to operate the ratchet-wheel 31 and turn the feed-shaft 32 by an adjustable lever 38, which is engaged at its upper end by a cam 39 on the shaft 15, in the same manner as set out in said patent. By means of the two pawls IOO IIO

reel, on which the coils of wire are 34 and 35, I am enabled to hold the ratchet and prevent any backward movement of the same to make a variation in the length of the nails, as said pawls are so placed that the end of one will extend into the teeth in the ratchet-wheel when the other one is at an intermediate point, as shown in Fig. 3.

In the tacking machine shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 467,665, above referred to, it has been found in practice that the mechanism for placing the nail in a vertical position (shown in-Fig. 8 of said patent-)is not entirely satisfactory in its operation, and b y reason of the wear of some of the parts the same are inoperative. In my improved construction I provide the lever or piece 40, corresponding to the piece 17 of said patent, with a spring 41, which acts to move the piece 40 into position to place the nail in a vertical position. I also provide the upper edge of said piece 40, near its lower end, with a projection 40', which is engaged by a cam 41 on the cutter-shaft to move said piece 40 down to its lowered position, as shown in Fig. 10, when the wire is being iitted to the cutter. By this construction I prevent any wear of the upper edge of the piece 40 and am thus enabled to cause the nail to always be moved into the same vertical position.

I provide an improved construction of the placed from which the nails are cut.

The object of my improvement is to make the reel in such a manner that coils of wire of varying thickness or width may be placed and held on the reel without changing the action of the friction-spring on the reel, so that the wire will always be drawn off evenly, as above stated. The reel 3 is supported on the outer end of the arm 42, bolted to the frame of the machine. Said reel consists of two side pieces or heads 3' and 3, each of which is provided with inwardly-extending portions 43, which interlock, as shown in Fig. 11, to form an even surface upon which the coil of wire is supported. or heads, as 3", of the reel 3 is provided with an inwardly extending hub 3', which is turned down, or of less diameter at its outer end, and made screw-threaded, as shown in Fig. 9, and upon the outer end of said hub is mounted the other side or head 3 of the reel 3, which side is held thereon by a thumbscrew 44. Said thumb-screw 44 presses against said side 3 to cause the inwardly-extending projections thereon to interlock with the projections on the other side, 3". A bolt 45 extends loosely through the hub 3 and is screwed at its inner end into the upper end of the supporting-arm 42. A coiled expansion-spring 46 extends between the upper end of the arm 42 and the inner surface of the head 3" of the reel 3, as shown in Fig.9, and one end of said spring bears against the stationary arm 42 and the other end against the inner side of the reel, loosely mounted on the One of the sidesbolt 45, to bind said reel between said spring 46 and the head 45 of the bolt 45, against which head the projecting end of the hub 3 of the reel bears, as shown in Fig. 9, thus putting friction on the reel and causing the same to turn evenly as the wire is unwound therefrom.

It will be seen from the above description of the reel that in case a thicker coil is placed on the reel the thumb-nut 44 can be turned off somewhat, to allow the head or side 3 to move awayfrom the head 3" to widen the reel, without varying the friction of the spring 46 on the reel, for the thumb-screw 44, turning on the hub 3 of the reel, instead of on the supporting-bolt 45, as is usually the case, allows the. head or side 3 of the reel 3 to be moved in or out, leaving the other side or head 3 in the same position, and this has been found to be of considerable advantage in the practical operation of the machine.

The advantages of my improvements will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art. l

It will be understood that the details of construction of some of the parts of my improvements may be varied somewhat, if desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In the grip mechanism of a tacking-machine, the combination with the nail-race 7, upon which the wire, from which the nail is cut, rests, of the movable grip 11 fast on the rock-shaft 12, and means for operating said grip l1 to communicate a positive motion thereto, consisting of an arm or lever 13 extending up from and fast on said rock-shaft 12, and a cam 14 fast on a driven shaft 15, substantially as set forth.

2. In the grip mechanism of a tacking-machine, the combination with the nail-race 7, upon which the wire, from which the nail is cut, rests, of the movable grip 11 fast on the rock-shaft 12, and means for operating said grip 11 to communicate a positive motion thereto, consisting of an arm or lever 13 extending up from and fast on said rock-shaft 12, said arm orlever 13 provided with a removable plate 16 extending in a longitudinal groove in the front edge of said arm or lever, and adapted to be moved in or out at its upper end, and to be engaged by a cam 14 fast on the driven shaft 15, and said cam, substantially as set forth.

3. In the grip mechanism of a tacking-ma-` chine, the combination with the nail-race 7, upon which the wire, from which the nail is cut, rests, of the movable grip 11 fast on the rock-shaft 12, and means for operating said grip 11 to communicate a positive motion thereto, consisting of an arm or lever 13 extending up from and fast on said rock-shaft 12, said arm or lever 13 provided with a removable plate 16 extending in a longitudinal groove in the front edge of said arm or lever, and secured therein at its lower end by a IOO IIO

screw 17, and adjustable in or out at its npper end by a screw 18 and a nut 15), and a spring which acts to keep the arm or lever 13 in engagement with its operating-cam 14, substantially as set forth.

et. In a tracking-machine of the class dcscribed, the combination with the graduated disk 2G', provided with a series of teeth 27 on the edge thereof, of the movable arm orlever 2G secured on the shaft 32, and having the handle portion thereof provided with a central longitudinal opening in which extends a pin 2S, the end of which is adapted to engage with the teeth in the disk 2G', and a spiral spring inclosed in said opening, and bearing at one end against said pin, and at its other end against an adjusting-screw, and said screw, adapted to be turned in or out in said central openin g to vary the tension of the spring on the pin, substantially as set forth.

5. In a tacking-machine, the combination with the ratchet-wheel of the wire-feed mechanism, of an arm carrying two pawls for actuating said ratchet-wheel, said pawls held in engagement with said ratchet-wheel by a single spring interposed between the heel of one pawl and the front portion of the other pawl, substantially as set forth.

In a tacking-1nachine of the class described, the combination with the pivoted device which acts to lift the nail and hold it in a vertical position, said device provided with a cam portion at its lower portion, of a spring which acts to bring said device into a position to move the nail into a vertical position, and a cam which operates to lower the device against the action of said spring, substantially as set forth.

7. In a friction-reel for supporting a coil of wire, the combination with the headed shaftor bolt on which the reel is loosely mounted, and a spring mounted on said shaft or bolt and adapted to bear at one end againsta stationary or fixed point, and at its other end against the reel, to apply friction thereto, of the two side pieces or heads of the reel provided with inwardly extending portions which interlock, and one of the heads pro vided with a laterallyextending hub loosely mounted on the supporting-bolt, an d bearing at one end against the head of said bolt, and the other side or head loosely mounted on said hub, and a thumb-screw which turns on a thread on the end of said hub, and is adapted to be screwed on or ofi", to adj ust the position of the movable side or head of the reel, to vary the width of the reel without varying the friction of the spring thereon, substantially as set forth.

8. In a friction-reel, the combination with a supporting-arm, and a bolt secured at one end in said arm, and provided at its other end with a head, and a spring mounted on said bolt, and bearing at one end against said stationary arm, and at its other end against the reel, loosely mounted on said bolt, of said reel, consisting of two side pieces or heads, as 3', and 3, each of which is provided with inwardly-exten ding portions which interlock to form an even surface upon which the coil of wire is supported, and one of said heads, as 3-provided with a hub 3" loosely mounted on the supporting-bolt, with its outer end adapted to bear against the head of the bolt, and provided with a screwthread upon which is loosely mounted the other side or head, as 3', which is held thereon by a thumb-screw adapted to be turned on oroii' of the threaded portion of said hub, to move the side or head 3 toward, or away from the side or head E3, to vary the width of the reel, without vary ing the action of the friction-spring thereon, substantially as set forth.

fitnessesz JOHN C. DEWEY, M. J. GALvIN. 

